


Inside Out

by katikat



Category: HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped
Genre: Angst, M/M, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 11:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katikat/pseuds/katikat
Summary: Then it happens. And the worst thing is that he is not the target. (Unbeta'd)





	Inside Out

He ends up in the same prison block as He Hang. How  _that_ happened, Tang Yi doesn’t know. He would’ve thought that anyone with half a brain in their head would know to keep them as far apart as possible.

Nothing happens between them, though. Tang Yi’s not interested in taking revenge on that the backstabbing bastard now that He Hang is in prison for life - drug trafficking on  _his_  scale does that to people - and he’s also not interested in adding time to his own sentence; the man’s not worth it.

Still, Tang Yi can’t help but feel that something’s brewing as time goes by and He Hang continues to watch him, his smirk getting more and more pronounced by the day. He knows that the son of a bitch is up to something. But what…?

Then it happens. And the worst thing is that  _he_ is not the target.

“I hear they plan on promoting your pet cop,” He Hang says to him one day at lunch as he passes behind Tang Yi in the prison dining hall. “He would’ve made a great captain, I bet…”

Then he walks on, letting the words hang in the air, as Tang Yi sits there frozen, heart galloping in his chest.  _He would’ve made a great captain. He would have made… Would have…_

Tang Yi jumps to his feet, startling everyone around him, and he grabs the first available prison guard who startles too, unaccustomed to physical altercations with inmates of Tang Yi’s type, the short-termers, so to speak. “I need to talk to the prison director,  _now_!”

* * *

They actually listen to Tang Yi. There must be something in his voice, something in his expression, just…  _something_ that makes them listen. And they let him call Shao Fei.

Who doesn’t pick up.

So he calls Zhao Zi, on loudspeaker, because as much as the director believes him that something’s wrong and that his lover,  _Detective Meng Shao Fei of the Organized Crime Division_  - yes, telling them that opened many doors to Tang Yi - is in danger, he’s no fool.

When Zhao Zi picks up, Tang Yi cuts him off before he can say a word. “Where’s Shao Fei?” he barks out.

“What?  _Who_?” Zhao Zi stammers out.

“Here’s Tang Yi. He Hang’s planning something and his target is Shao Fei, I’m sure of it,” Tang Yi explains quickly. “I tried calling him but he’s not picking up.  _Where is he_?”

“He got a call from an informant of his, something about the case we’ve been working on,” Zhao Zi tells him. “He’s somewhere downtown. I guess.”

“Find him!  _Now_!” Tang Yi orders sharply.

The urgency in his voice must’ve made an impression because there’s a loud rattling sound on the other end of the line as Zhao Zi jumps to his feet and snaps out a reflexive, “ _Yes, sir_!”

* * *

They bring him back to his cell. And then all he can do is wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

* * *

Tang Yi spends a sleepless night, sitting on the cold hard floor of his prison cell with his head in his hands, thinking of all the terrible, horrible things that could’ve happened to his lover. Shao Fei must be alright, he must be, he just must be…!

If not, then Tang Yi will kill He Hang himself. He will kill the man with his own two hands, consequences be damned!

It’s mid-morning when they come for him, telling him someone’s waiting for him. Not in the visitation room, no, but in the director’s office. Dread makes Tang Yi’s chest grow so tight that he can barely breathe. He’s been in here for over a year now and he’s never met any outsiders anywhere else but in the visitation room. 

When Tang Yi enters the director’s office and sees Shao Fei there, his relief is so profound that his knees turn weak and tears flood his eyes. His lover’s here, he’s here and he’s alive.

Shao Fei turns around and smiles at him, whispering, “Tang Yi…” and Tang Yi  crosses the room quickly and hugs him. He knows he probably shouldn’t, that it’s against regulations, that he’s taking a great risk, that he might be punished but he doesn’t care. Right now, right now he has to touch Shao Fei,  _feel_ him.

Shao Fei hugs him back real tight, and stroking Tang Yi’s back, he repeats over and over again, “I’m okay, I’m fine, I’m fine…”

Tang Yi’s trembling, he’s so relieved, so  _happy_! He would stand there, holding his lover, for the rest of his life if he could. But then the director clears his throat, loudly and pointedly, and they separate reluctantly, letting their hands trail down the other’s back slowly before they step away from each other.

Only then does Tang Yi truly  _see_ Shao Fei’s face, only then does he notice the bruises and the split lip and the deep cut above his left eyebrow. He reaches out to gently stroke Shao Fei’s swollen cheek. It hurts him deeply seeing Shao Fei’s injuries.

Shao Fei leans his face into Tang Yi’s hand, rubbing skin against skin, and closes his eyes for a moment. “I’m fine. This is nothing, really. The call from my informant, it was a trap. They jumped me and…  _well_. But the cavalry arrived in time thanks to you. Zhao Zi grabbed  _everyone_ and they rode to my rescue.”

Staring Tang Yi deeply in the eyes, Shao Fei adds emphatically, “You  _saved_ me, Tang Yi.”

“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have needed saving in the first place,” Tang Yi points out. “He Hang sent his henchmen after you because of me. It was a payback.”

“And he’s going to face the consequences,” Shao Fei promises. “We arrested his men and they’re singing like canaries. The judge already ordered He Hang transferred to a maximum security prison. He’s not going to do anything to anyone anymore.”

Tang Yi wants to believe that. He doesn’t.

His face must reflect his thoughts because Shao Fei says, looking at Tang Yi imploringly, “ _Trust_ me on this, Tang Yi. It’s  _over_ for him. He’s going back to court for this and this time he won’t get just life. Not on top of everything else he’s done in the past. I  _swear_  it’s over.”

Then, despite their audience, the director and the prison guard, Shao Fei steps closer and kisses Tang Yi on the lips, saying everything that he can’t convey with words this way, and it’s their first kiss in over a year and Tang Yi just drinks it in, he soaks up every bit of love and care Shao Fei’s offering.

And when they bring him back to his cell, his lips still tingle and his heart is still full. His life is still waiting for him out there and right now, that’s enough. It must be.


End file.
